The Role of Physicians at RIC

The majority of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago's (RIC) attending physicians are physiatrists (pronounced fizz ee AT' rist) What is a physiatrist? According to the American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, a physiatrist is a "physician who is a nerve, muscle, bone, and brain expert who diagnoses and treats injuries or illnesses that affect how you move."

Physiatrists treat a wide range of problems, from sore shoulders to spinal cord injuries. They see patients in all age groups and treat problems that touch all the major systems in the body.

Just like other physician specialists, physiatrists must successfully complete four years of graduate medical education and four additional years of postdoctoral residency training.

At RIC, physicians take the lead in managing each patient's care – that is also often true at other hospitals. However, RIC is unique because our model of care is patient-care focused, which means we provide patients what they need and when they need it, so they can achieve their goals.

As a result, our physicians work closely and collegially with the entire rehabilitation care team to ensure the best outcomes are achieved for each patient.